1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to door and window wedges and more particularly to wedge stops for sliding closures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of wedge stops for doors and windows is well known in the prior art. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,338,205 of Albright an adjustable door check is described including a bifurcated wedge provided with a screw for adjusting the height of the wedge.
A number of prior art patents disclose wedges which attach to or near a door or window. Such wedges have many advantages over unattached wedges, including a potentially greater stopping power than an unattached wedge, which might slip. Some wedges attach to a surface over which the door or window must open, and thus can be used to limit, rather than prevent, the opening of the door or window.
An example of a wedge which attaches to the floor, side wall, or ceiling adjacent to the door is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,936 of Dominquez. In that patent, Dominquez describes a device including a pair of elongated, nestling channel members pivotally attached together at their ends, a prop member pivotally attached to a lower one of the channel members, and a screw coupled to the upper channel member. When the prop member is raised and engaged with the retaining screw the upper channel member is retained in an inclined, wedging position. Wedges have also been used to prevent or limit the opening of a sliding door or window. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,841 Starks describes a stop assembly including a wedge removably secured with a VELCRO.TM. fastener to a sliding door assembly. A problem that Starks does not address is how to conveniently position a wedge near the top of a sliding door assembly where it is least detectable and most effective.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,233 Levey describes a window and door lock including a pair of S shaped rod members coupled together at their ends. The free ends of the rod members are disposed within the space between the top of a sliding door or window, and the top of the upper track along which door or window is guided. The angles of the rod members are designed to allow the door or window to be partially opened. A problem with Levey's device is that it is not easy to install or remove, particularly for shorter persons.
It might be possible to install a version of Dominquez's collapsible wedge of U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,936 near the top of a sliding door or window, but some problems would arise. For one, the inverted wedging member would have a tendency to pivot under the influence of gravity to its wedging position and thus would interfere with the normal opening and closing of the door or window. Furthermore, Dominquez's wedge would be difficult to open and close when attached near the top of a sliding door or window since the retaining screw must be engaged with the prop to keep the wedge in an operational position.
What the prior art fails to disclose, then, is a wedge that can attach near the top of sliding doors and windows and which is easy to open and close by a person standing at ground level.